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(No Modem y I W.- C. BURNB.

FEATHERING PADDLE WHEL. No. 313,652. Patented Mar. 10,1885.,

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Unirse draai-ns fFairnerr @reinar WILLIAM C. BURNE, OIF NEV YORK, N. Y.

SPECEFICATIOJN forming part or Letters Patent No. 313,652, dated March10, 1885.

' Application tiled December 27, i884. (No model.)

To' a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, WILLIAM C. Bunxn, of the city, county, and State ofN ew Yorlehave invented a new and useful Improvement in FeatheringPaddle-Wheels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full andexact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making apartof this specification.

My invention relates to that class of paddlewheels in which the paddlesmove automatically to present an eft'ective propelling-surface to thewater as they enter the same and turn in leaving, so as to avoid liftingthe water, and prevent, consequently, avwaste ot power.

The object of my invention is to produce by novel devices, ashereinafter fully set forth, a simpler and more effective movementof thepaddles than has heretofore been attained.

Figure l is a central vertical section through the paddle-wheel at aright angle to its axis. in line :r v ofFig. 2, a portion of its armsand paddles being omitted; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section in liney y of' Fig. 1, the upper paddle and the shaftbeing in elevation.

A represents the shaft ofthe wheel,mounted in any approved manner; B B,the radial arms, rigidly affixed to the shaft,and braced in thecustomary manner, and which carry the paddles; C C C, the paddles,pivoted to the arms each by a bolt, D, passing longitudinally throughthe upper edge ofthe paddle and through the arms B B at each `endthereof, to form a hingej oint which leaves thepaddle free to swingloosely between the arms. Each paddle is slotted longitudinally throughthe center of its outer edge to form a slot or recess, E, therein of adepth equal to about two-thirds the width of the paddle.

Through each arm a bifurcated slot, F, is cut, its two arms convergingfrom points upon opposite sides of the pivot of the paddle to a point inline radially with said pivot and the axis of the wheel, at a distancefrom the pivot somewhat less than the width of the paddle. From theintersection of its arms the slot is extended radially toward the end ofthe arm nearly to the line of the outer edge of the paddle. The two armsof the slot diverge at an acute angle. The width of the slot is uniform,and admits of the ready movement through it ofthe end of a rod, G, whichextends through the longitudinal slot in the paddle from the slot in thearm on one side ofthe wheel to the slot in the corresponding arm on theopposite side, as is illustrated in Fig. 2.

lThe ends of the rod G are fitted with friction-rollers R R, (see Fig.2,) turning freely thereon, and these rollers are lnade to travel eachin an annular groove or recess, H, cut in the face of a circularframe-plate, J, made fast to the wheel-house at each end of the wheel,so that the ends of the paddles as they revolve shall pass in closeproximity thereto.

The outer edge ofthe groove H in each frame constitutes aeil'cle havingthe axis ofthe wheel as its center 5 but the inner edge,opposite thelower half ot' the circle,bends inward,so as to rapidly widen the grooveor recess H, as represented at iin Fig. l, until its width exceeds thedistance from the pivot of the paddle to the outer extremity of thebifurcated slot F in each arm. The continuity of the circle formed bythe groove is broken at a point vertically beneath the shaft by aninward benchs, therein, (see dotted lines, Fig. 1,) constituting in facta cam. v

The engagement of the friction-rollers R R with the circular groove Hserves, during the movement of each paddle as it sweeps out of v thewater through the upper part of thewheelhouse during a half-revolutionof the wheel,to keep the paddle in line radially with the axis of thewheel, for as the friction-rollers move through the narrow portion ofthe groove the rod G is kept thereby at the extreme outer end ot' thepaddle and of the bifurcated slot in the arms. Vhen, in the rotation ofthe shaft, the rollers pass into the wide portion i of the groove orrecess, they remain in contact with the outer edge of the groove, and

thus operate to keep the rod G at the outer edge ot' the paddle, whereit will operate to stay the same and prevent its movement until thepaddles have reached their point of'deepest immersion vertically underthe shaft. Here the rollers R R, passing up upon the cam S, carry therod G inward far enough to permit it to enter the diverging arm of theslot F in the wheelarm B,and the resistance of the water as the wheelturns forward will operate to carry the rod up this inclined arm of theslot until it hasreached its upper end. A

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the rod is thus carried toward the upper end of the paddle the latter isleft free to swing upon its hinge or pivoted joint, so that its outerend shall drop into line tangentially to the circle which itdeseribes inthe movement of the wheel7 instead of standing at a right angle thereto,and the resistance of the paddle in passing through the water becorrespondingly diminished. As the paddle leaves the water the rollerson the ends of its stayrod G strike the inner iiaring side ofthe widenedgroove at t', (see Fig. 1,)and, bearing against the same, are forcedoutwardly,so that the rod is carried gradually toward the outer edge ofthe paddle, and in its movement causes the latter to swing back into itsradial position until finally the ends of the rod pass into the radialends of the slots F F in the `wheel-arms B B, and the paddle is therebyiXed until again released by the engagement of its rollers with the caniS, iu manner as described. Each paddle is thus held tlrmly in a Aradialposition so long as it can do effective the rod G in contact with theface of the pad-' dle, and yet allow its play inward and outward overthe same to and from the outer edge.

I claim as my invention- The combination, with the paddles of afeathering paddle-wheel,which are so pivoted 'at each end of their inneredges to and bedle, and to enter and, during the revolution of 45 thewheel, travel 4in a cam-groove in an outer iiXed frame at each end ofthe wheel,whereby a radial reciprocating movement of the rod is obtainedto determine and to vary the angle of inclination ofthe paddle duringthe revolution Of the wheel, substantially in the manner and for thepurpose herein set forth.

ln testimony whereot'l have signed my name to this speciiication in thepresence ot' two subseribing witnesses.

y W'M. C. BURNE.

Witnesses:

A. B. MOORE, JOHN A. ELLIS.

